Barely Aquaintances
by Experiment Designation Nova
Summary: Blaise gets a second chance to make a difference. Waking up in his thirteen year old body once more he decides to stop being passive. To show that not all Slytherins are the devil's guard dogs. That one of them is willing to make a change. AU! Time Travel!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _"Hi. May I sit here? Everywhere else is full."_

If it had been awkward waking back up in his thirteen year old body, it was downright creepy to stare at the thirteen year old version of his wife.

Blaise leant against the sliding door of the compartment. Half of a smile pulled across his lips as he regarded the girl sitting before him. His eyes though half lidded roved her tiny body. Taking in the familiar site of his future wife. He took in the smooth dark skin, the long coiled black hair and almond shaped golden-brown eyes framed by long black eyelashes.

"I find that hard to believe." Her voice was soft and laced with suspicion, "I assumed that Malfoy liked to keep his… _acquaintances_ near to him."

Blaise shrugged. His dark brown eyes flickered down the hall. Standing outside of an already acquired compartment Pansy was watching him. Her body half inside the compartment and the other out. A look of confusion painted across her face. He raised a hand and waved. He knew she was wondering why he had stopped at this compartment. Turning back to the thirteen year old version of his wife he titled his head almost as though contemplating the assumption.

"Your not wrong. Draco does indeed like to keep his… _acquaintances_ ," he drawled back at her in a poor imitation of her accent smirking slightly as she frowned in both annoyance and confusion. "quite close to him. But I'm not…really an acquaintance."

She snorted at that. A small chuckle fell from his lips. She narrowed her eyes at him. Obviously thinking this was some sort of elaborate plan that Draco had concocted. Blaise sighed. Pushing himself off of the door he leant inside and stated, "if this turns out to be some sort of plan to…humiliate or bully you you can do whatever like to me at the end of the term. However, if this does turn out to be just me being nice to you then…perhaps we could be friends?"

She blinked slowly surprised by offer. Though probably more surprised by the allowance to do him harm then anything. She sucked in a breath and nodded.

"If your _friends_ allow you to, then you can stay." She murmured.

Blaise smirked and slid inside. Placing his bag in the overhead rack he sat directly in front of her. Extending his hand he introduced himself, "Blaise Zabini."

She glanced at him passively and did the same.

"Wilhelmina Austin." She murmured.

Taking her hand he folded it and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Withdrawing he intoned, "a pleasure."

She nodded mutely. Then she turned to the little black bag that sat in the seat next to her and retrieved a newspaper. She flattened it out and opened it. She brought it to her face and effectively blocked him out. Blaise hummed in amusement. He was looking forward to third year for different reasons than last time. With a slight jolt the train pulled out of the station. Glancing out of the window he raised a hand in goodbye to his mother. Who he could see from the platform had raised an eyebrow at his choice of seating companion. Mostly out of curiosity he raised a hand at Wilhelmina's parents. Her father furrowed his brow at the action while her mother simply beamed and waved back.

Turning back to the girl in front of him he expected to see the monotone black and white of the newspaper glaring back at him. But instead he got Wilhelmina's curious gaze. Golden-brown eyes appraised him for a second before becoming obscured by ink and paper.

"Is it any good?" He asked.

He was slouching in his seat his knees knocked against hers due to his gangly form. He half expected her to complain but she had studiously ignored him for the better part of an hour using the guise of reading the newspaper.

"You do know that this is a _muggle newspaper_ , right?" She questioned softly after placing it on her lap.

"Yes. " he replied as equally soft. "So is it any good?"

"It's OK."

"Just ok? I would have assumed the material you've taken to hide behind would be more than just ok."

"I am not hiding!" She cried indignantly.

Blaise raised an eyebrow. She scoffed and then exhaled sharply. Her eyes flashing in annoyance and her jaw locking in her anger though slight as it was. Blaise shrugged folding his arms and watching her.

"Yes you are. Though I wouldn't blame you. Obviously you haven't spent enough time with a bloke as handsome as I am. So you're a bit intimidated, I understand." He told her gently.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. Holding back up the paper she murmured laughing, "sometimes it's preferable to _The Daily Prophet_."

Blaise hummed silently muttering almost to himself, "maybe I should give it a read."

The paper dipped once more and she stared at him with incredulous eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her. She pursed her lips and stated, "You? Ha! As I remember you _snakes_ like to think that muggles were backward and beneath you!"

"Draco does." Blaise conceded.

"And what? You don't?" She snapped.

"My mother's neutral and so am I." Blaise assured her.

"And what? Is that supposed to _mean_ _something_." She snapped again.

A small part of him the part that was very much still thirteen and fully indoctrinated in the ways of looking down on those of lesser blood reared his head slightly. No matter how much he tried the slight glare that made its way onto his face intensified. But he bit his lip to stop from insulting her. He understood the sudden rise in anger. No matter how civil he was being there was still a part of her that was on alert. That was waiting for the insult to her heritage that was coming.

"I'm not Draco." He muttered after a minute had passed and his sudden spike in anger had cooled.

"I know. I'm sorry." She whispered.

The silence that descended was heavy. The only sound that came was the steady chug of the trains engine as it flew over the tracks. Out of the corner of his eye he noted that she had yet to raise the paper. Wilhelmina simply sat staring at her hands. He knew that she was sorry but pride that he, himself, knew he would eventually let go was bruised.

His thirteen year old self wanted to take down the little _halfbreed_ that dared to _insult_ him. To knock her down a few pegs and let her know who was in charge.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" The middle aged witch pushing the trolley filled with confectionary voice shattered the heavy silence.

"Yes. Yes, please. May I have four chocolate frogs and three packs of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans and two Liquorice Wands?" Blaise simply glanced up and shook his head at the woman's questioning smile.

He turned his head back to the steadily growing dark landscape. Focusing on it as though it had some hidden wonder that only he saw. He heard Wilhelmina murmur, " _Thank you_ " and slid the compartment door shut again. Her knees brushed against his as she sat back down.

"Blaise…" her voice was soft and hesitant.

He glanced up at her. She was leaning towards him in her hand was a Liquorice Wand. A peace offering. An apology. He titled his head on a side and regarded her. She was solemn now. A small smile tugged on his lips. Reaching out he accepted it.

"Barely friends?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Barely _acquaintances_." She told him a small smile on her lips as well.

He chuckled and his eyes drifted back to the darkening sky.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Wilhelmina had disappeared behind another newspaper. This time however, there was no intention to ignore the other party. Instead it was a simple fact of growing curiosity of what had happened since she had last read it. A need to keep on top of things and aware of her surroundings.

Blaise watched her out of curiosity. It wasn't everyday one waked up in their thirteen year old body forced to go through their past once more. At first he had assumed a dream. A hallucination due to the smoke wafting out of his daughter's cauldron, _she had inherited that unfortunate habit of experimentation with various potion ingredients from her mother_ , and so he had made his mind to simply wait until it wore off.

Then he had seen a younger Wilhelmina and suddenly it was very real. Very irreconcilable real.

"What?" Swallowing thickly he focused on her.

Trying to hide his surprise he raised an eyebrow in question. She pursed her lips and folded and closed the newspaper she was reading. Placing it on her lap and licking her lips. Her eyes had drifted from his face and landed on the paper folded in her lap. They then flickered back up to him.

"You're distracted. You've been staring at me for the past five minutes." She stated softly.

"Sorry." He intoned politely and dismissively.

Wilhelmina sighed. She bit the inside of her mouth and inhaled heavily. Her fingers rested on top of the newspaper on her lap. She glanced at him and then looked outside at the already dark landscape. She allowed for a few minutes of silence to pass between them.

"Would you like to talk about it? I mean if we are going to be civil to each other," here she paused and glanced up at him. He smiled cheekily at her and nodded leaning forward and stared at her, " of course."

"Then I suppose it would be proper to ask if wished to talk about whatever is bothering you." She stated watching him.

"Your concern is appreciated. Misplaced but appreciated. I'm not worried about _anything_." Blaise lied smoothly.

It was an ingrained part of him. Even if she was the most important person in his life there was always apart of him that could never admit that he was even remotely out of his depth. He had to always be the one in control. His mother taught him that. Even if the situation was not going as he intended he had to always present the front that he controlled everything. Whether it was truthful or not.

She nodded. Accepting his answer. Silence lapsed once more. Awkward and tense. Neither knowing what to say to each other.

"Why are you really here, Blaise?" She asked dryly.

He didn't answer her right away. He stared at the dark shapes of the trees rushing by the train. _Why was_ _he there_. Besides the obvious reason. He could have gone with Draco. Sat in the same seat and listened to the same drivel he had done before. He could have just walked past her and not cast her a single glance. Why would he have to? She wasn't that interesting that first time around. He had only noticed her because of Snape's favouritism to the only person outside his house. That was why he _noticed_ her.

But so had all the others.

Yet, none of them had made to befriend the self made pariah. She had stood alone. She had done all she needed to and she got by noticed but ignored. So why? And it wasn't because he loved her. _That was_ _part_ _of the_ _reason_.

Unconsciously he had done what he hadn't done the first time around. He had chosen her instead of his values. He chose her instead of the obvious stereotype that he had chosen to step into.

"Because I want to be." He stated and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before focusing on the dark exterior of the train window.

"I would ask Why but something tells me that it would be a general waste of my breath." She intoned dryly.

His lips turned up into a small smile and he chuckled, "No, please I insist. I'm always a reason to waste breath on."

She snorted. Staring at him with a look of complete incredulity. She gave a little laugh before stating, " _well aren't you an arrogant little pri-_ "

The end of her sentence was cut off by the train suddenly jerking to a stop. A small shriek escaped her as she flew forward and back so suddenly. Her eyes flickered to the window and then to Blaise and back again. Her hands against the seat as she tried to calm her racing heart. Blaise reached out and touched her gently on her knee.

"Are you hurt?" He questioned softly gazing at her in the dark.

"No, I'm fine. A little startled but fine." She whispered back.

Then her fingers dove for her bag and she rummaged through it searching for something. Finding what she was looking for she pulled it out and whispered an incantation, " _Lumos_ ". Within seconds the soft rays of wand light enlightened the dark compartment. Wilhelmina cleared her throat as she realised just how close she and Blaise had gotten.

"You might want to get your wand." She muttered and Blaise tilted his head and stared at her.

"Or not." He smiled.

"I _really_ think that you should." She gritted out her fist tightening around the hilt of her wand.

As he moved to argue as why he needn't do such as thing a chill settled in the small space. Their breaths became little puffs of visible smoke. Their eyes flickered to each others for half of a second before they both slowly turned to the compartment window.

They watched as frost started climbing up the glass. Creating beautiful rose patterns on the glass. Making it seemed as though it had been delicately and deliberately frosted. Wilhelmina's breaths became jagged and short. She reached out and gripped Blaise's arm. Fear crawling up her spine and dancing at the forefront of her mind.

"What's going on? Why have we stopped?" She whispered harshly.

Blaise ignored her. Instead turning to the compartment door and watching it. Waiting for what he knew would be right around the corner. The temperature continued to drop and the cold becoming completely frigid. Frost curled on their breaths and suddenly the glow of the light on the tip of the wand seemed feeble and dull.

"What are you waiting for? Why are you…?" Wilhelmina's voice died softly as the compartment door slid open.

"Give me your wand." Blaise hissed softly.

"What?"

"Wand. Now."

"Or what?"

Then as a black rooting skeletal looking hand curled around the edge of the compartment door Blaise felt as a wooden cylindrical object was shoved abruptly into his hand. Glancing out of the corner of his eye he noted the fact that Wilhelmina had shoved herself backward. Pressing her body onto the cold glass of the window before sliding down into fetal position. Fear coating her face.

He slid in front of her and glared at the hooded creature that stood before him. He raised the wand and stated evenly, "He's not here. Leave."

Yet the creature made no move to enter any further than it already did nor did it leave. It stood at the door staring in at the floor, at her. Blaise took a step forward ignoring the whimpers from the girl crouched on the floor.

"I said leave." He hissed and the creature turned to him.

Blaise's throat dried and his hands turned clammy. It stepped forward gliding towards him. His vision swam the light dimmed. His breaths became shallow. His heart pounded in his ears. His vision swam and fear settled in his mind. His body stilled and he heard nothing but the blood rushing to his head. He gripped the wand tighter. He heard the hallow yells of petrified individuals. He saw the flashes of red and green swirling around him in the air. Then silence punctuated by air piercing scream. His grip loosened and the creature glided another step further inwards. It's bony hands raising to the hood that covered its face.

Blaise extended his hand slightly and drew a shaky breath. Before closing his eyes and gripping the wand a little tighter and began whispering an incantation aloud.

" _Expecto_


End file.
